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Thornton Tomasetti Elects John Abruzzo, Elisabeth Malsch and Peggy Van Eepoel to its Board of Directors

May 24, 2021
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Thornton Tomasetti announces that Managing Principal John Abruzzo, P.E., S.E., and Senior Principals Elisabeth Malsch, Ph.D., P.E., and Peggy Van Eepoel, P.E., F.SEI have been elected to the firm’s board of directors for two-year terms. The announcement was made at Thornton Tomasetti’s annual shareholder’s meeting in May. With the addition of Abruzzo, Malsch and Van Eepoel, Thornton Tomasetti’s board now includes 13 members.

“We welcome John, Elisabeth and Peggy to the board of directors,” said Thornton Tomasetti Executive Chairman Tom Scarangello. “Their business, technical and leadership skills and unique perspectives will complement our current board. We look forward to their contributions as we execute our goal to always be the global driver of change and innovation in the industries in which we work.”

As a co-leader of the firm’s Forensics practice, John Abruzzo has an extensive background in the investigation of structural failures. His work includes emergency response, litigation support, construction defect cases, blast mitigation and deconstruction engineering. Abruzzo played a critical role in Thornton Tomasetti’s investigation, forensic analysis and repair recommendations for the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. The observatory shut down in September 2020 when a steel cable snapped and damaged the facility’s famed 1,000-foot-wide radio telescope, which collapsed three months later. John was also part of the team involved in the assessment of the 2019 partial collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana and the development of a plan to bring down two tower cranes left dangling over the site. Abruzzo is based in the firm’s San Francisco office. He holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Villanova University.

Based in the New York City office, Elisabeth Malsch is a co-leader of the firm’s Forensics practice and a member of the leadership team that oversees the firm’s research and development program. As part of this initiative, she was one of the lead developers of Hummingbird Kinetics, a fluid harmonic damper for tall and supertall buildings based on NASA technology. Dr. Malsch has more than 20 years of experience in structural analysis and design, with specializations in investigative projects and is proficient in static, dynamic and nonlinear analysis and the evaluation of buildings, temporary structures, and mechanical systems under the effects of typical to extreme loads. Dr. Malsch is a frequent lecturer, speaking on topics that range from technical innovation to the increasing diversity in the engineering profession. She holds a Ph.D., master of philosophy and master of science in engineering mechanics and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, all from Columbia University.

Peggy Van Eepoel is director of Thornton Tomasetti’s Washington, D.C. office and a leader in the firm’s Protective Design practice. During her career, Peggy has been involved in the design and structural hardening of more than 200 buildings. She currently leads teams for several projects for at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. Federal Courthouses in Nashville, Tenn. and Anniston, AL, U.S. Consulates in Durban, South Africa and Casablanca, Morocco; and three new headquarters buildings for the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority. Van Eepoel is an executive advocate to the firm’s Employee Network Groups (ENG), which form the firm’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She also serves on the management team charged with employee development and leadership training as well as increasing inclusion and diversity among its staff, leaders, owners and board of directors. Van Eepoel holds a master’s degree in structural engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering.

About Thornton Tomasetti

Thornton Tomasetti applies engineering and scientific principles to solve the world’s challenges – starting with yours. An independent organization of creative thinkers and innovative doers collaborating from offices worldwide, our mission is to bring our clients’ ideas to life and, in the process, lay the groundwork for a better, more resilient future. For more information visit www.ThorntonTomasetti.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, InstagramFacebook, Vimeo or YouTube.

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